I keep seeing a lot of questions about using electrical appliances overseas, so I thought I'd just make a good post on this so I can refer people to it instead of retyping the same answers again and again.

"Will my camera / hair straightener / whatever work overseas?"
"Will I need adapters?"

To answer this question, you must check for matches in 3 categories:
1. Physical shape of the plug
2. Voltage (V)
3. Frequency (Hz) - prounced "Hertz"

Physical Shape Of The Plug: Does the shape of the plug on your device match the shape of the plug(s) in the nation(s) you plan to visit? Look up the shapes on the Voltage Valet site. If your device doesn't match the outlets in the nation(s) you're visiting, you'll need at least a plug adapter to convert it. You can get the adapters at lots of department stores, travel stores... they are everywhere. I got mine at Wal Mart.

Voltage (V): Voltage is the "pressure" with which electricity is "pushed" into the appliance. More and more devices these days have multi-voltage support built in because it simplifes manufacturing lines and global product distribution. You must check whether the accepted input voltages of your devices match the voltage at your destination(s). Check the destination's voltages at Voltage Valet.

As for the devices you're travelling with, look closely at the area where it plugs into the wall. The input voltage(s) will be printed there. Something like "Input: 110-240V" means that it's good for all voltages starting at 110V up to 240V. That means you will not need a voltage converter anywhere in the world! However if your device doesn't match the destination's voltage, you may need a voltage converter. More on this later. Converters can also be bought at travel stores. They're more costly and less common, so it might just be cheaper to replace your device with a multi-voltage one.

Frequency (Hz) - Strictly speaking, the input frequency of the device should match the one at your destination. Again, the frequency should be printed somewhere on the device. However this really only matters for complex electronics like cameras, camcorders, computers, etc. Simpler things like battery chargers, hair appliances, etc. won't know the difference. Frequency converters do exist but they are really outlandish contraptions. Try getting a tour of a hydroelectric power plant and you'll see what I mean! If you really do need your computer on tour and it doesn't support the destination frequency, you should order a foreign power supply from the manufacturer.

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When Is A Voltage Converter Really Needed?
If you are travelling to an area whose voltage is higher than what your devices accept, you need a converter. Period. Never over-volt because it can lead to electrical fires and might even burn down the building!

If you're travelling to an area with lower voltage, it's probably OK to use simple things like hair straighteners and blow dryers without a converter. However they will not be as powerful due to the under-volting. These things would probably operate almost identically if travelling from a 240V nation to a 220V nation.

Simple battery chargers would probably work, but more slowly. I would not charge any lithium-ion or lithium-polymer battery on an unsupported voltage. NiCd and NiMH only!

Do not use more complicated electronics on voltages for which they weren't designed unless you want an expensive paper weight!

My Hair Dryer Supports 220V, But Only On The Low Setting...
The low setting in a 220V zone will be twice as powerful as the low setting in a 110V zone. 110V x 2 = 220V. Do NOT use the high setting unless you like melting hairdryers! This is probably just a feature of the hair dryer's manufacturer skimping on electrical components so they can increase their profit margin.

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So what do we take away from this?

1) 110-240V, 50-60Hz = Best case scenario! Only a plug adapter needed!

2) Never over-volt!

3) Under-volting is sometimes OK.

Swell!

ive a duracell 30-mins battery charger and its got a 110-240v, 50-60hz mention on the label.. :]

my ipod charger on the other hand, works in a 110-220v ratio, however, it doesnt say anything on Hz, it doesnt matter, right?

Peace! ^^

How long did that take you to write out curtis??

I started a topic about this about a month ago, but seeing as curtis has gone to the trouble of trying to put everything together, I got an adaptor that can work anywhere around the world.
Most of them look sorta like the one i found here:
travel adaptor

but you can also get them in other forms as well that make you take out one piece and replace it with the country you need.
The one I've got will save you having to carry around more than one adaptor, but if you're like me and will most likely want to be charging/using more than one thing at the same time then you'll need two! I got mine from ebay, so it wasn't expensive as the one on the website - hopefully they work!

~Kelly~

Thank you so much for this post, Curtis! I had posted some questions about hair straighteners and gotten answers, but nothing that was as clear as this...plus a lot of the answers were from Australians and I'm not sure if I would even have been able to apply what they told me, being from the US myself.

Great post Curtis!!!!

Q. is everyone bringing just one adapter?? or shoud i be bringing 2.. or more?
i'll have my phone, ipod, camera.
i wonder if the bus has multiple plug in sites per person, or just one? or i spose you could get a double (or more) euro adapter? - wherever you find that?!

I have 2 single ones, but the company 'Korjo' now makes double adapters for voerseas destinations - you can get them at luggage/travel stores

Help! I'm going to France in June and really need to bring my hair styling iron. It's a Canadian/US unit rated for 125V, 60Hz, and uses up to 200W. My question is can I use a travel power converter like this:
http://tinyurl.com/2v6m32

My biggest concern is the 125V rating on the unit which seems higher then your normal 110/120v. I read the 50Hz isn't a concern for hair appliances (true? false?)

Thanks for the help

I just looked at that conveter/adapter thing and it says it converts 220/240v - 110/120v which means it is a step down one. You'll need one that goes the opposite way 110/120v - 220/240v

quote:

Originally posted by bellyk:
I just looked at that conveter/adapter thing and it says it converts 220/240v - 110/120v which means it is a step down one. You'll need one that goes the opposite way 110/120v - 220/240v

are you sure that's right? don't you step down the voltage at the outlet? it doesn't make a lot of sense because if you look at the diagram it's a N.A plug that goes into the converter which then goes into plug adapter. Since N.A. doesn't use 220V in that plug configuration I have to assume this is the right unit.

I'm just taking 1 adapter and a powerboard.. i saw the suggestion somewhere and figured at least i wont annoy anyone with hogging all the outlets.. i'll only need one and will probably have a spare aussie spot on my powerboard!

oh my god i'm prob jusr a little slow, but i never thought of taking the single euro-aussie adapter, and then an aussie powerboard (which i'm assuming is just a multi adapter -type thing).

Brilliant!
Thanks for the idea!

Generally the Contiki busses in Europe have 4 power outlets on the bus and they are all together at the rear stair well, they have european outlets. As the power comes from the bus itself if you take a powerboard and plug it in so that 4 outlets become 8, 12, or 16 the busses can't deal with it. This would work in the hotel rooms though. The only people I've seen have problems with power converters are people from the US who have had hair driers short out with the European voltage. Otherwise i'd take atleast two power point converters, remeber that the UK is a diffent outlet to the rest of Europe too.

quote:

Originally posted by bellyk:
I just looked at that conveter/adapter thing and it says it converts 220/240v - 110/120v which means it is a step down one. You'll need one that goes the opposite way 110/120v - 220/240v

You've got that backwards. The converter posted by Chestnut1 is the corrent one. The power SOURCE is 220/240 so you'd want to step that down to what the styling iron accepts.

The difference of 125V vs 110/120V is negligible for an iron as you would be slightly under-volting anyway.

Sorry!! Must have been half asleep when I looked at the page

I don't have a power converter. I have a Dell mp3 player (not an ipod) that does not have the option of switching between the 2 voltages. Is it possible to charge my player on the European 220V system without a power converter? The charger cord plugs into the USB port on my device and connects to any wall outlet. I'm just wondering if charging an mp3 player will draw as much power as a device such as a hair dryer, and risk causing a fire, etc.